Even if he hated me, I couldn’t look away from him. Even if he called me an imposter, a trickster, all I could think of was how alluring his scent was. Even when he was ready to take my sister’s words over mine, I couldn’t help falling for him. I wanted him to take me in his arms and tell me that the last few weeks had been a dream after all. That he loved me, like a true mate would. I wanted him to be my prince charming. To be my salvation. But that was not my fate. Goddess forbid if I had anything easy in life! Sometimes, I truly believed that this mate bond was the curse. Not my being the Stealer. Callista Leander turned eighteen with hopes of finding her happily ever after. But instead, she was left locked in a tower of a castle, doomed to be married off to her true mate’s feral brother to save him from certain death. All because of one curse and a conniving sister. Her life was suddenly filled with betrayals and secrets, and in every corner she looked, danger lurked. Now, with the whole world against her. At the mercy of an angry king, her oblivious one true mate, will she make it out alive on the other side?
View MoreCallista."I won’t lie, Callista, but this won’t do your reputation any favors," Haden ribs me as we carry boxes from my room.It is the morning, two days after the accident, and I’ve already finished with my swords practice. Valencia goes easy on me and lets me off early due to the 'accident', which I was still bummed about.I’ve got two hours before class, so I thought that I might as well use the time to pack up my things to move.After the incident, the very thought of being alone in the tower with only a bunch of guards and a manic wolf was not soothing. I barely slept the last two nights because the smallest sound woke me up. Elias’s howls, which I'd gotten used to were suddenly scary to me once again.So, when I woke up this morning, I knew my time in the tower was done. I had to take Theon up in his offer.I really didn't expect Theon to make the offer to move in next to him, and when he did, I was ecstatic with joy. It felt like a significant step in our relationship.I mean,
Callista.The guard goes to work immediately, and in no time, he has all the videos from an hour ago on a screen.“Start from the most recent,” Theon says.“Yes, Alpha.”We wait with bated breath as the video starts to play."Alan, pause the video." Theon orders after a moment, voice low but firm. I’ve been on the receiving end of that voice many times before, when I was the last person Theon wanted to lay his eyes on. That tone of voice never meant anything good.“What is it, Alpha?” Alan peers at the video."Why can't I see a post? There must be a post in the footage!"We look closely at the grainy footage, and true enough, there isn't a single post to be seen. Alan plays the entire clip once more, and throughout, we can only see the balcony railing."I think the post is situated in a blind spot, Alpha," Alan replies, "We focus more on the areas that people normally move around.""Isn't there anything we can use to watch the activity around the post?" I ask."Well, I can try to find
Callista.We watch as they cart a grumbling Haden away. The castle staff starts to clean up the mess of the crash on Theon's instruction, and I tear my eyes from a receding Haden to the crash site. The peculiarity of the chain doesn't sit right with me, which is the main fact that leads me to think that this wasn't a mere accident."Theon, I’ve got a question.""Yeah?" He comes towards me from the poor shocked butlers he was yelling at. "Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?"I nearly smile at his concern but shake my head. "No, I'm fine. I want to ask you something. How is the chandelier connected to the ceiling?""Well, you see that hook over there?" he points to the big hook on the ceiling. "The chain is wound around it a couple of times, and then there's another post in the floor nearest to the chandelier and the chain is wound around it and locked with a padlock to keep it tight and steady.""Can you take me to that post?"We walk up the staircase in the corner of the sitting room t
Callista.Staring at the crash just inches away from me, I stand with shaking legs. I can't believe it.I cannot believe that happened. If I hadn't been pushed out of the way by Haden just in time, I would've been greatly injured, or worse, dead.Next to me, Haden groans, and my attention immediately snaps to him."Haden!" I exclaim as I hold him by his arms and try to support him to stand up. "Are you alright?! Oh, Goddess, you’re bleeding so much!""Just scratched from the glass," he winces, bending on his waist so as not to make the shards that are under the skin of his back go even deeper. "What the actual hell just happened? I just heard a clink, and my instincts told me to move as soon as possible.""The chandelier came down on us," I whisper, supporting his body so as not to injure him further."Miss Leander! Gamma!" The castle staff: maids, butlers, and guards, come running, shock and worry marring their faces.They all gasp upon seeing the wreck of a chandelier, and the maid
Callista."Hey, Callista!" Haden's voice comes, and I see the man himself approaching me, carrying a heavy looking cardboard box. "What are you up to?""Oh, nothing," I comment, falling into a lazy walk beside him. "I'm just going to my room to get something."I'd taken my breakfast trays back to the kitchen so as not to bother the maids, and in my haste, I'd forgotten my ring. I only noticed that after I'd opened the door to go into the kitchen. It felt wrong not to have my ring on me. The crystal piece of jewelry had grown on me in such a short time. I feel almost naked when I don’t wear it."Oh, good, I'm going the same way. I need to deliver these to the guards near Elias's room.""How is Elias, by the way?" I ask and immediately regret it when Haden sighs sadly."He gets worse by the day," he says. "He's gotten to the point that he bites his own hide just to release the bloodlust he feels, and we don't have a way to treat his wounds. It sucks, to watch your friend turn to that. I
Valencia.I can’t get it out of my head.What I saw…it cannot be. Please, don’t let it be so!Surely, I’m overthinking this. There is no way….But every time I even blink, I see the image of Callista and Theon together, strolling through the garden, smiling at each other, and talking. I try to tell myself that it's probably nothing. She just came back from the Guild, and he was asking her about her experiences. She did have quite a harrowing time. Also, he'd known her for quite a while.But I can't shake it off. When I stared at them as they strolled, I felt something wrong in my gut. And my gut I never wrong!As I step through the hallways in the castle, my mind runs back to yesterday. As soon as Theon saw her appear, he pushed me away. He had done it before too, but this time, he'd done it when he saw her.And she'd looked shocked. And hurt. Why did she look hurt?In my room, I throw my sword on my bed and sit down next to it, dragging my fingers through my hair. What did it mean? W
Callista.I meet Valencia as the sun begins to rise. She waits for me in the training area with two wooden swords in hand, idly swirling them."I hope you remember the last things I taught you," she says, and I feel myself blush. With everything that has transpired, I'd totally forgotten all my sword lessons."Um," I try to find words. "I guess?"Valencia shakes her head. "Well, why don't we spar and find out how much you remember, huh?""Sure," I reply.We take the swords and get into position. I feel a tingle run through my body starting from my ring. I glance at it, trying to see if it's glowing, but it's not. Why was I feeling the tingle then? Perhaps it's adrenaline."Get ready!" Valencia yells and lunges.Now, I had forgotten everything. My mind is clear of any sword art techniques, and I feel like an idiot. But it seems like my muscles hadn't forgotten what Valencia taught me days ago. My sword's arm moves at the speed of sound, countering her every strike. My legs and body mo
Callista."Yeah?" I croak. My voice sounds wrecked, and I hope she doesn’t look too closely into it.Theon shakes his head at me, eyes wide. I remember everything he told me about her, and I make a healthy guess. I nod at him, and he visibly deflates in relief.We jump out of the bed and straighten our clothes. I comb my fingers through the mess of my hair, trying to make it look a bit more acceptable. Theon does the same, rubbing at his lips to wipe away any moisture. "May I come in?" Valencia asks, her voice toned down and defeated. After I feel like we look decent enough, I reply. "Yeah, sure, come on in."Hesitantly, she opens the door. Upon seeing Theon, who looks pretty intimidating at the moment, she backtracks."I can come back later," she mutters, but I cut in.“No, it's fine, Theon was just checking in," I send Theon a look.I need to talk with her. She is clearly not in a good place, and I feel sorry for her. Just days ago, I was the same. And even though she'd come on
Callista.My heart lurches to my throat, and I gulp, schooling my expression so I won’t show what I’m really feeling. Then, I go to the door and open before I can start doubting myself again.Theon stares at me as I stare at him, looking into each other's eyes. He opens his mouth, then closes it. He bites the inside of his lip."You look well," finally, he says. It’s disconcerting to hear him be so meek."I feel well," I reply, maintaining the calm. "I'm completely healed. No more episodes when it starts to rain."We're hedging, I know that. It takes me such an effort to restrain myself from demanding an explanation for what I saw downstairs."That's great. That's more than great," he nods furiously as if he was a bobbing head.Suddenly, everything feels too much. I don't want to tiptoe around the incident anymore. I need answers."What was that with Valencia in the hallway?" I ask."I didn't kiss her!" He blurts out as if he had been waiting to say that. "But it's not the first time
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